Thenga Chammandi or Coconut Chutney

Featuring here is the most simple and the one of the most integral side dishes of South Indian cuisine, the chammandi or the coconut chutney. It is a breeze to prepare (less than ten minutes if you have all the ingredients handy), is everything a side dish should be-spicy, tangy and has that zing going and can be used in versatile roles: ranging from sandwich fillings, idli/dosai side dishes to accompanying a simple meal of rice. A little goes a long way here and can make many a soul happier for having tried this zesty dish that is so bursting with flavors.

Ingredients:
Freshly scraped coconut - 1 cup
Red Chilies - 12 large
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Shallots - 10
Tamarind paste - 2 tablespoons
Curry Leaves - 10 leaves
Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Toast the coconut for 5 minutes or till it turns light brown in color.
Grind all the other mentioned ingredients along with the toasted coconut till it all comes together. And you are done! That was not so difficult now, was it?

Tastes best with a bowl of steaming rice. It's the perfect way to kick back and unwind on a lazy Sunday afternoon.